You’d think lawmakers down in Raleigh had enough to do. But no, they want to be your nanny. At least some of them do.

A bill to bar Tar Heels under 18 from using tanning beds is moving through the General Assembly. It’s been tried twice before without success in previous legislative sessions, but nanny-wannabes don’t give up easily. This time, bill-backers say momentum is on their side.

Not that tanning, man-made or au naturale, is a good idea at any age. There’s much evidence to suggest that over-exposure increases the risk of skin cancer, the deadly kind called melanoma.

As for browning in a tanning bed, the N.C. Dermatology Association has this to say:

• Studies have found a 75 percent increase in the risk of melanoma in those who have experienced indoor tanning.

• Even a single visit to a tanning bed can cause melanoma.

• UV radiation in tanning booths can be up to 15 times greater than the sun.

• Melanoma is the most common form of skin cancer for people 25-29 and the second most common for those 15-29.

• One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

Other evidence from the medical community:

Bill co-sponsor Jim Fulghum, a Wake County neurosurgeon, cites studies that show people under 18 more vulnerable to cancer from sun exposure.

David Ollila, a surgical oncologist at UNC’s Lineberger Cancer Center, points out that young, white women are the heaviest users of tanning beds – and the group most likely to develop melanoma. He helped write the current tanning bed bill.

The problem with this bill is not the medical evidence against tanning. The problem is that it gives government the power to make a decision it has no business making.

Who should decide when it is OK for a young person to use a tanning bed?

Parents and guardians.

Not lawmakers.

The government already decides when it’s allowable for individuals to buy tobacco products, alcohol, over-the-counter medicines and other legal products. Deciding the age at when an individual is allowed to use a tanning bed is one more example of government assuming a misplaced role in family life.

North Carolina lawmakers have plenty to do without sticking their noses into the personal business of this state’s residents. We urge members of the local delegation to stick to the legitimate role of government and leave family matters to North Carolina families.